"NBC News has declared that there is a civil war in Iraq. That's not shocking because NBC is the most aggressive anti-Bush network, having made a calculated effort to woo left-wing viewers. The question is, is NBC wrong about Iraq? The answer is yes, at this point. Because the Bush administration miscalculated the problems after Saddam, the ensuing chaos has given power to a number of bad guys. First there's Iran, which is training an army of Shiite killers to create chaos. Second is Al Qaeda, which is using the Sunni fear of the majority Shi'a to provoke conflict. Third are organized criminals who are running wild because there is little Iraqi police presence. Add it up and you have out-of-control chaos, not civil war. The vital problem now is how to protect U.S. troops from the bad guys in Iraq. If we pull a 'John Murtha' and bail out, Al Qaeda and Iran win big. If the Bush administration will not consider dividing the country into three autonomous regions, then it must consider allowing the Iraqi military to run the place. That would be brutal, but clearly the Iraqi people are not embracing freedom, so imposing order through a military strongman may be the only way. Of course the American media is not helping by oversimplifying the situation and rooting for the USA to lose in Iraq. This is a brutal issue that that affects all Americans. We need to think about it very carefully and avoid foolish descriptions that define nothing."

An annual Chicago Christmas festival accepts advertising, but city officials have rejected ads for the new film "The Nativity Story." Attorney Steven Greenberg explained and defended the city's decision. "They wanted to put up a large screen and have audio that would have been unavoidable. What are you going to do, wear earmuffs? The city of Chicago is within its rights to say we won't give a forum to this." But Mike Rich, who wrote the movie, claimed the film and its advertising are a perfect fit for the festival. "It's natural to have the Christmas story play at a Christmas festival. The entire focus of this movie is to get at the true meaning of Christmas." The Factor questioned the judgment and sanity of city officials. "I had hoped Christmas controversies would be very limited this year. But this is so stupid it's beyond belief, and in this case the city of Chicago is stupid."

The Pope, in Turkey for his first visit to a Muslim nation, was met by protests over Benedict's comments about Mohammed. Islamic spokesman Nihad Awad praised Benedict for making the trip. "The Pope has taken a positive step by visiting Turkey, and the protests were not violent. We want an open and free dialogue based on mutual understanding and respect." The Factor confronted Awad about his organization's priorities. "When are you going to turn your criticism and your ire onto your own, to say we have to knock off the violence in the Muslim world. When are you going to try to marginalize the fanatics that are ruining Islam's image in the world? 75% of the violence in the world is being caused by Muslims, and almost all the terrorism in the world is being done by Muslims."

Greta Van Susteren joined The Factor with updates on two unsolved crimes. First, the case of Jason Midyette, the infant who was brutally murdered in Colorado. "The parents are apparently not cooperating," Van Susteren reported, "and there must be some power that this prosecutor has to bring this case to justice. This child died in March with a lot of broken bones and deserves justice." The Factor denounced Boulder DA Mary Lacy in the harshest terms. "Mary Lacy is an idiot. She's an incompetent boob who should turn this case over to the state or nothing is going to happen." Van Susteren added the latest on the Natalee Holloway disappearance. "A Dutch reporter told us that Joran Van Der Sloot's criminal attorney made a statement to the prosecutor indicating that his client knew something about the murder."

Some mental health professionals now define explosive anger as a medical condition, and psychiatrist Keith Ablow elaborated on the illness. "Most depressed people express intense sadness, but some express terrible irritability, so depression can be one root of anger illness. Some mothers talk about their anger, saying 'it explodes out of me, there's no usefulness to it, and I can't control it.' That kind of anger damages kids." The Factor expressed skepticism about the so-called disease. "I'm not buying the 'anger illness' deal because I think all anger can be controlled. Michael Richards exploded and lost his temper. I don't think that's illness, it's weakness. I believe within all of us there is enough self-control to stop the anger."

There is simmering tension in New York City, where police shot and killed a 23-year old black man named Sean Bell. Even though some of the officers are black, Rev. Al Sharpton complained about racial bias by cops. "Where race comes in is whether police behave the same in different areas. There were 50 bullets fired, the police were the only ones with guns, and we want to know what happened. We have a dead guy here who didn't do anything. Too often in our community we have to fear cops." The Factor reminded Sharpton that aggressive policing has led to a precipitous drop in crime, saving hundreds of black lives. "Police have reduced violent crime drop by putting their lives on the line, and by making this a racial issue you insult those police. Stop the racial nonsense!"

Body language expert Tonya Reiman analyzed some recent confrontations and revealed the hidden emotions behind the words. First, Congressman Barney Frank's angry outburst on Fox News Sunday. "He's anxious, his eyebrows are raised," Reiman declared. "He was very uncomfortable and really believed the questioning was unfair." Reiman also dissected Michael Richards' emotional apology for his racial slurs. "You can see the apologetic expression and the submissive gestures, and every part of the tape shows sincerity." Finally, Reiman analyzed a television appearance by Clay Aiken, who put his hand over the mouth of host Kelly Ripa. "She was disgusted by it and I'm sure she felt it was intrusive. She was furious."